Man City are champions, Brighton make history and goodbye Beth Mead

0:00Immersing yourself in all things soccer ahead of this summer's World Cup? I'm Alex Avnos, senior sports editor from The Guardian. Whether you're a soccer beginner or you know the game inside and out, we've got you covered. From one of the fastest-growing soccer newsrooms, The Guardian brings you in-depth World Cup coverage that gets into the winners and losers on and off the pitch. Read, watch, and listen as our journalists connect the dots between the games, the cultures, and this political moment. We'll have daily newsletters throughout the tournament, a global perspective, and a squad of Americans, including me, on the ground with the U.S.

0:32national team. Plus, if you want to test your soccer knowledge, try On The Ball. It's a game in the Guardian app, and it's really, really fun. And if you're into stuff like this...

0:40Rachel: Well, I think the problem is, if you give footballers an inch, they will take a mile. Is it too much when it's this close? It's a bit much. It's a bit too real. Maybe you could just talk with a slight delay. Be sure to listen to our Football Weekly podcast for on-the-move expert analysis. The Guardian, bringing you the whole picture on soccer. Search Guardian Soccer for more. With the American Express Platinum card, you can access over$3 ,500 in annual value with benefits and eligible purchases across travel, entertainment, and more. There's nothing like Platinum. Learn more at americanexpress.com slash explore dash platinum.

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1:20Rachel: They've only got a bloody tonneau. Manchester City have claimed the WSL trophy for the first time in a decade and in doing so have brought down the mighty Blues six-year title winning streak. It comes to an end and deliver into the FA Cup final. Not a bad week for the Sky Blues. They will be facing Brighton in the final who pulled off an amazing comeback against Liverpool to give themselves a chance of silverware for the first time in their history. We take a look at that mad, mad game. Finally, with the league already wrapped up we look ahead to the narrative still swirling around the final weekend of the WSL including Beth Mead's confirmed exit.

2:05Rachel: Rach it was a really lovely way to kind of throw to the FA Cup this weekend but before we get stuck into all the drama and obviously Man City and this title that we need to talk about that we've been kind of talking about for the last few weeks now uh what what are your moments of the weekend well we're going to talk a bit more in depth about it later but for me it was when the when the um substitution board went up at the 89th minute for brighton liverpool and nordam was brought on for fran kirby and i just thought interesting taking fran off as i thought fran actually lasted you know almost 90 minutes which smashing it as well yeah and but you you know with fran kind of managing um injuries and stuff like that i was i didn't expect it to go that long and then you know you're looking at maybe it's going into injury time so i just thought oh it's an interesting substitution what a substitution she turned out to be iconic and then we can get into the goal celebration of the wholesomeness of that but i just for me that was such a kind of pivotal moment for bright when that boy ran up and she was coming on i was like wow you look back at where a game changes and that was it i think there's probably quite a few like sort of um faces sort of around around the stadium like you know right now interesting yeah yeah different rated okay cool see where it's going well who's eating their cake now eh Brighton yeah well moment of the weekend for me we were obviously at the Women's Football Awards it was a lovely occasion every single year you get to celebrate the biggest and brightest and not even just on the pitch but all the off the pitch stuff as well and I've got to give a massive shout out Fowdy's picked up an award Tongue Tied picked up an award After Football Studios who've done some amazing graphic work Buddy Shaw and also the Corinthians they I had such crack with them afterwards because I was working it and I was so spent most of my night in the winner's room and I just remember at the end you know finishing up some of our content and I had a couple of them sat on the couch next to me and uh they had one of the sponsors were in and they were like you know trying to encourage them to be like look we do holidays to the Mauritius and I'm like mate seriously this one beside me was trying to wangle for all she gets you're gonna fly us all out like first class you're gonna get us are you gonna pay for the flights are you and she goes sure tell them they do they do massages and she goes oh i don't want a bit of that and then we started like suggesting all these crazy things jumping out of a plane would you do bungee jumping oh they were such crack beside me they were honestly this group of women i mean obviously we spoke about the corinthians maybe a couple of months ago because the fa issued an apology to them only 50 years late or so um but they went up on stage they had this like lovely moment there was a standing ovation for these incredible women who had been through so much you know pushed football forward uh despite the ban and it really kind of it'd been like a reason that a lot of us were in that room, essentially.

4:43Rachel: But yeah, amazing speeches. They did want to get off stage. And I could have given them 20, 30, 40 minutes for their speeches. They do have a film coming out. I think it's on BBC on the 19th of May, I want to say, at 10pm. Maybe BBC 3 or BBC 4. So keep an eye out for that because they told me to spread the news. So, job done. A lovely little plug for some of the biggest heroes in women's football. really interesting stories. They basically gave me a teaser and said, we were meant to go to South America for three weeks and ended up there for three months. So, I want to hear that story. The whole gang?

5:20I don't think it was all of them. Just watch the film. Okay. It's done. Do you know what though? It's wrapped. You said it was such a lovely way for it to happen. I was just like, on a Wednesday night while watching a different team, you're like, oh, they've won.

5:35Rachel: I, yes. Could you imagine? There's a slight anticlimax about not having your title secured at a game and you can kind of celebrate with the fans. But obviously, I mean, to set some context, obviously Arsenal's draw at Brighton on Wednesday night means that Manchester City cannot now be caught ahead of the last game of the season. They've done it. They've wrapped it. They've been ahead of the pack. They've maintained that lead. They've actually finally done it. And we thought Arsenal, if they could have got that win, we're going to take it to the last game of the season. But Arsenal go to Arsenal.

6:01Rachel: But they've fallen. This is Man City's first league title since their unbeaten campaign in 2016. since 2016 Chelsea have won eight titles and like you said Rach it was a slight anti-climax because obviously I don't know if you've seen the stuff on socials but Man City were basically in a room at the training round all together and then as soon as the final whistle blew for that Arsenal-Brighton game the entire squad exploded hugs, cuddles, tears it was just celebration there's this great footage of them all just going absolutely mental and celebrating this huge thing for them it was really nice apart from Laura Coombs who was sat down protecting the ears of her dog from the celebration and the screaming I'd probably be doing the same it was huge but what a moment for them to kind of celebrate this thing I mean yeah we're both smiling because it just feels like it's so nice I'm wearing a Man City shirt in honour she shouldn't have I also just really love this shirt so any opportunity it's a lovely little colour on that if you're watching on YouTube yeah well we all knew it was going to happen it was just the manner in which it was going to happen and you know it was funny because a lot of us said if they win it before the FA Cup semi-final they can kind of like go in then and fully focus on the FA Cup semi-final and not be worrying about the game afterwards and then you watch the first 80 minutes and you're like Jesus I thought maybe maybe they'd be a bit more at it but um no I mean we'll get into the comeback the ridiculous comeback but uh yeah incredible you know I just think that the mentality shift in the team this season I think Andre Järgloetz has been a revelation how incredible for a manager to win the league first time of asking, which is only the third manager to do that, the WSL.

7:39Rachel: That kind of makes sense though. It's a really hard thing to do. Your first time in the season, especially when you're coming in from abroad, you don't know the WSL that well. You're still kind of getting adjusted to how the team sets up and the schedule and the fixtures and how you're going to interact with the various other competitions that take place. But that's absolutely huge. And I know a lot of people are saying, well, they didn't have Champions League. As if that makes it like, yes, okay, you're not kind of juggling as many games. I understand the argument, but it's really frigging hard to win the league.

8:08And especially after so many years of Chelsea doing it and with teams getting better each season, you know, credit has to go hugely to the team. I think they did a really good job of not to say they didn't have injuries here and there throughout the season. They absolutely did. But to kind of sustain the team in the way that they did compared to previous seasons where they've had a real struggle with injuries. And yeah, I think there's been I know we're going to talk a lot about Bunny Shaw. understandably she's been incredible you know Vivian Miedema has been again like back to her best but just so many players across the board you look at that pairing of Canac and Rose they've been unbelievable you know Kirsten Kasparais had an unbelievable season Alex Greenwood, Lauren Hemp, you know Vigino, there's Carolyn, there's so many players that have been incredible Hasegawa continues to be top notch so I think when you've got so many players at that level humming each week and I just think the mentality can't be kind of overestimated I used to talk about it a lot with Chelsea but there's been a quite a number of games not quite a number but there's been a decent enough handful of games where where City have won it with a late goal and in previous seasons that is something they struggled to do is to you know when they may be drawing a game is to put it to bed so the fact that they've been able to do that this season Rebecca Kanak against Liverpool couldn't better exemplify that kind of attitude of you know keep keep pushing until the absolute final whistle and that's been huge credit to them because that's been the thing that's won in the league and andre jegler has spoken about how how much this group of people have been all about winning and wanting to win not to say that teams don't do that every year but i just think that mentality shift has been so different this season um and whether that's something that jegler has brought in whether it's a thing where they've just kind of there's more of a refresh over everything with gareth going and whatever else but everything just seemed to fall into place for them this season and um huge credit to them

10:02Rachel: yeah it definitely felt like the shackles were off in a way they're definitely i think even from the the initial games at the start of the season it definitely felt like there was a freedom that creeped in when we talk you know when we talked to kirsten casper and she was saying you know how much she's able to express herself a little bit more and how much she's able to you know press herself higher up the pitch and kind of you know do things that maybe she wouldn't have done necessarily done under gareth taylor so it did feel like he was under a yugler as kind of ushered in a new era where they kind of feel a little bit more confident.

10:26Rachel: They feel like there's a belief there. And to maintain that throughout the entire season, and I know there's been points where they've dropped off and games where they haven't won, but those have been so far and few between. They've really been quite consistent in this entire, and you need that consistency. You need that mentality to keep on pushing like that. And it is so hard. I can't even tell you how hard it is to go from the start of the season to kind of get to the middle of the season and go, oh, right, we could actually do this, but we've still got a long way to go. And then to get to the very end, and you slip up a little bit and then you still have to maintain this kind of confidence and belief, the mentality is draining because week in, week out, you know exactly what you're fighting for and you do not want to be that person who slips on the banana at the last minute.

11:05Rachel: And I know it's a lot. I know people were kind of saying the media were making out that Arsenal had a chance, right? Like, but if you're a team that knows you've slipped up and you've allowed another team kind of back within touching distance, it does put pressure on those final games. And pressure creates mistakes. Exactly. You have to override that kind of like the fear and the nervousness that creeps in when you have made a mistake, but to not have that happen again. Like that Liverpool game to score in injury time, like that would have been open the door for Arsenal, not just kind of getting closer, but actually being able to overtake you.

11:37That was so to be able to put a game like that to bed in the manner that they did. They're dealing with, you know, not having me to man for the last few weeks, which has been a huge impact in terms of creativity. But just going back to what you said about, you know, the style of play. And I remember thinking that from the very first game when they played against Chelsea. and at Stamford Bridge, I appreciate they lost it, but there was just much more dynamism in the way that they were playing. Like a dynamic team, players just seemed to have the freedom to be, and there's a lot of creative players in that pitch, to be creative within the system that Jäglerts wants to play.

12:08And I think that was the last few years, maybe they've struggled a little bit. The players didn't seem to be as creative as they could be within the structure that Gareth Taylor, for example, wants to play. Whereas now it feels like Jäglerts has kind of recognised the quality and creativity of the players he had and kind of trusts them to go out and just be at their fluid best. And when they are at, you know, when you think about that Chelsea game or the Manchester United game, they were unbelievable performances. Like they were frightening to see them kind of maraud forward as a team. So a very deserving winning team and to see them kind of, you know, stop that Chelsea run finally.

12:45Someone had to do it. They can be very proud of their season. I couldn't agree more.

12:48Rachel: and I think Jagler sums it up quite nicely he said in the good moments and the bad they've always stuck together and found a way to win it's something that all great champions do and he's been a great addition to the league as a manager 100 % he comes across really well he speaks really well he's very open the team is so fond of him as well you could see like the celebrations where they've run up to the sidelines and like jumped on him because they want him to feel a part of like what he's helped them achieve too I have a lot of time for him and I think like you were talking about you know some of the key figures in the Man City squad and you can't get away from the fact that this year attacking prowess has been a huge part of their success so they are first in the rankings for goals scored 58 big chances created 73 possessions won in the attack and third 181 like this is a team on form and also defensively they've got the second best defensive record and a lot of that does go to the fact that you've got the likes of Keating and Yamashita who pull it out in big big moments there have been slip-ups 100 it happens with all goalkeepers but at the end of the day that's just as important as the goals themselves absolutely it's um yeah it's just been lovely to see it all come together really um and now obviously jegler could still secure a domestic double first season with city having come from behind obviously to beat chelsea in the fa cup semi-final i mean these two semi-final fixtures were exactly what you want i don't want to hear anybody say we need to change the format of the fa cup to make it more exciting hands off It couldn't have got more exciting.

14:13Rachel: It was an absolutely beautiful weekend. Sun was out on the Saturday, slightly miserable on the Sunday. I was watching it from the comfort of my own home. Not a glass of wine in hand for this one. I've been boozy this weekend. Can I just say, it was freezing at Stamford Bridge. Bloody hell. Get yourself in a box. It looked like Chelsea were heading for their fourth FA Cup final in five seasons. And then, who else sure happened again? Anne Fowler. Anne Fowler. In fact, obviously, I apologise, Mary. Yep, sorry, apologies. It's just that, you know, sure. There's just so much to say in home, we will.

14:46Rachel: She scored the equaliser in normal time and then the winner in extra time. That now makes it 24 goals in 30 appearances in all competitions for her this season. I don't want to get too much into the thick of the game because obviously there's a lot of sure news that I kind of do want to get stuck into. But tell me about your thoughts in this game because it kind of felt like it was the Chelsea show for a large part of that. and then it wasn't very quickly. I feel for them. I do because they came out of the traps. Strong. Yeah, I think Kiara Keating had to pull off a super save from an Alyssa Thompson shot within like, what, 30 seconds?

15:22Yeah. I think she'd made two big saves in the first kind of two minutes. Yeah. And then Cuthbert, that was just, I felt so unlucky for her. Yeah, she'd set herself and it was a deflection. But like there was a kind of doggedness in Chelsea's attack there, particularly in that where they just weren't giving up the opportunity and they were going to get a goal. It's just a shame they had opportunities. Sam Kerr had the ball in the back of the net twice. One ruled out for going out in the build-up to it, which there was... I thought it was, but it wasn't on the replay. Well, yeah, I haven't actually seen a really definitive photo of it.

15:53It didn't look really to me, but I haven't seen an angle where you can be 100 % sure. I can see why the ref called it off. I can 100 %... In that moment, I can see it, but I don't think it was. But it is worth pointing out that the whistle went before the ball was struck. So that's got to be missed a little bit, but I can understand that frustration. And then again, a very tight offside. It was offside, but a very tight offside. So for Chelsea, they could feel aggrieved in a sense because they essentially had the ball in the back of the net four times. So you can be frustrated by that. There was some argument about the ABJ penalty shout.

16:24It wasn't a penalty for me. Chiara Keating again with another great save. But I can understand that frustration. It was almost like they did everything right until the 85th minute. And Sonia Bonpastro kind of said it just sums up their season a little bit. you know so close and then you know losing at the end but to think in the 84th minute I was going out that night to meet my aunt and I remember saying to her I'd said to her before look this might go to extra time and I had I ended up texting her going I was about to pick up my phone and be like it's grand I'll be I'll be on time don't worry about it and then that was really silly of you you've been in this game a long time I know but just a shout out to I know Bunny Shaw stole the show but i just thought particularly some of the substitutions imam benny i thought was great when she came on mary fowler yeah to get that goal you know she's been in and out she could come back great strike yeah huge but a huge huge goal for the team to kind of lift them again and make them think hang on hope we've got like a what there was like seven minutes of injury time or something we could actually do this shout out to her kiara keaton kiara keating save after i

17:25Rachel: know she had to slip up i know did she come back but christ like oh my god to come back in that moment was absolutely insane the last ditch um saving that in the last final minutes was absolutely outstanding yeah absolutely um and also Lauren Hepburn left back for a while getting bashed in the face bloody nose you know and still putting in an absolute shift I thought there was a lot of like you could see the managers they're they're trying to move players around and you know we'd you see bronze and neve charles the central defense towards the end you know so I just I thought it was a really like fascinating battle particularly those last kind of 10 minutes and then injury time of managers just doing everything they could to tweak here and there and Sonia kind of held her hands up and said you know it definitely the substitutes made such a difference for Manchester City and it didn't have the impact she wanted and I think she kind of held her hands up uh in that respect but bloody hell what a comeback I think it was a goal it was a game that was kind of indicative of both seasons for both teams it was like Man City and we talked about this Yoglet's uh the Yoglet's quote saying you know we you know we've had our ups and downs without our challenges but we have this winning mentality we have the winning like mentality of champions and that's what it was like they were pretty much down and out you were thinking this game's kind of gone one way they've secured the title that's a really good one maybe the fa cup maybe a step too far for this and actually chelsea haven't done too bad this season maybe the fa cup would be quite nice yeah for them to get to the final and then obviously bunny shore doing bunny shore things i mean let's give a little bit of love to her because it has been quite the season for bunster um ahead of the game she was obviously named uh the 25 26 football writers association in Women's Football of the Year.

18:57Rachel: And I mentioned, obviously, she picked up the award at the Women's Football Awards too. Probably won't be the last one either. Well, this is the thing. And now she's kind of set to win the Golden Boot for a third successive season, which would be a record. Unless, there is an unless, I will just caveat that slightly. Things could happen. If she blanks against West Ham and then Kirstie Hansen scores eight goals against London City Lionesses. Maybe. Then Hansen picks it up. Yeah, well, you never know. It was kind of like that Crystal Palace ending season game. and I was like, if you get five more goals, you could actually get the title here, girls.

19:29Rachel: It was obviously an interesting time for Bunny Shore to be facing Chelsea, given the rumours that are taking place. You can never really deny the humour that women's football fans will have. If you were a conspiracy theorist, you'd honestly think these things were set up. Do you know what I mean? Do you know what game we should have that were at Hangs on Man City's season Hangs? Let's put it against Liverpool with Gareth Taylor at the helm. Why not? and then like after all these Bunny Short to Chelsea rumours who should they face next? Chelsea. The fixture person for the WSL 1 and 2 has done absolute business should be getting a raise You mean it doesn't just get pulled out of a hat?

20:04Rachel: Even the WSL 2 the way those those fixtures lined up absolutely incredible. Anyway getting back to Shaw so we had fans chanting Bunny Short we'll see you next season midway through the game. The Chelsea links are obviously getting very very strong it's reported that she's going to sign for the London Club. On Friday Jekyll is obviously sort of being questioned about this and saying you know I still hope she's signing a new contract for Man City but that's more of a discussion for Therese who's the director of football I'd be banging on her door like keep her whatever she wants anything take it she can have my house just keep her but obviously I think you know Bunny Short in the first kind of half or for quite a large chunk of the game wasn't really I wouldn't say that was her at her absolute wasn't her best audition 100 % so I think then there might have been questions about whether this was the right choice.

20:55Rachel: No, never. And then Bunny Shaw steps up and does Bunny Shaw things. And then obviously the Chelsea fans are like, well, yeah, let's get her back in. Yeah, it was a very mixed reaction from the crowd. This is Bunny Shaw all over and what makes her so good. And I've touched on this before about her 17 % conversion rate, which surprises a lot of people given how many goals she scores. It surprises me now. I kind of feel like it's fake news. It's because she creates so many chances. And what makes her so good is that like, she doesn't allow herself to get frustrated when she misses them. because she knows she's going to create another one.

21:24And there was nothing more exemplified that than the winning goal that she scored, because she had a header, a hundred and second minute, right? And she, as she described it on TV, woofed it, like, woofed it? Shite header, let's be real, went wide, well wide, like, what are you doing? Then Hannah Hampton picks up the ball and tries to take a quick goal kick.

21:48Rachel: Did you see what Bunny Shaw was doing that moment there? Just like casually strolling out. Yeah, she was later, she's got the winner yeah she's probably like god's sake missed another one and then 15 seconds between the two headers she absolutely buries it in the opposite corner so that's the kind of markings of an unbelievable number nine who can keep making those chances who can keep missing the shots because she knows another one's going to come and she's going to score it or two well according to the BBC she's just one goal away from becoming the first player in WSL history to score 20 or more goals in three different seasons come on Bunny West Ham And they've got a gorgeous graphic of the goals since the 23-24 campaign.

22:26Rachel: And she scored 52 goals over the past three seasons. Russo on 34 is the next best. Oh, wow. 35, sorry, on the next best. Yeah, I mean, can you even? If Man City don't put their hands in their pocket and match whatever Chelsea are paying, I think it would be huge. I don't even understand. And plus, you've got into the Champions League. like sure you need someone like that who will just bury goals who will just there's a there's a cool calm confidence to her that you need in these big moments going into european european football but let's be real it's not like there's an abundance of world-class number nines out there looking for a club who are banging in 20 plus goals a season i agree you hang on to her tie your shoes together i don't know a keeper i don't know how you do it but like what whatever she wants double it lock the door i don't know whatever cancel the trains down to london double it because you think of like what you would pay Bonnie Shaw so say for example I think Chelsea are rumoured to be paying like 1 million or whatever it is but isn't it around contract length isn't that one of the issues that I've read is that like Chelsea are essentially offering her a longer contract they are sign her until she's 90 well literally she's 29 like she's still in her absolute peak era for a striker I don't understand like why you wouldn't put your hand in your pocket and say like we'll keep you on for the next 2 or 3 at least 2 or 3 years but also worst case scenario if she did leave in a year or 2 you'd get some bloody money for her rather than letting her go for free the commercial impact of that so say for example you pay you pay Bunny Shaw one million pounds a year the money that you'll get from being in European football absolutely key the money that you'll get from winning the WSL title the sponsors that will come in the brand deals that you'll get off the back of that absolutely key like commercially like she's driving Man City forwards put your hands in your pockets give her the contract length she wants sign her until she's 90 I'm telling you she's probably still banging in 20 bleeding goals at that stage you've had it at first right let's talk about the other side of the cup.

24:19Rachel: Coming after this is Bryson who will see City in the final.

24:36Immersing yourself in all things soccer ahead of this summer's World Cup? I'm Alex Abnos, Senior Sports Editor from The Guardian. Whether you're a soccer beginner or you know the game inside and out, we've got you covered. From one of the fastest growing soccer newsrooms, The Guardian brings you in-depth World Cup coverage that gets into the winners and losers on and off the pitch. Read, watch, and listen as our journalists connect the dots between the games, the cultures, and this political moment. We'll have daily newsletters throughout the tournament, a global perspective, and a squad of Americans, including me, on the ground with the U.S.

25:08national team. Plus, if you want to test your soccer knowledge, try On The Ball. It's a game in The Guardian app, and it's really, really fun. And if you're into stuff like this...

25:15Rachel: Well, I think the problem is, if you give footballers an inch they will take a mile. Is it too much when it's this close? It's a bit much. It's a bit too real. Maybe you could just talk with a slight delay. Be sure to listen to our Football Weekly podcast for on-the-move expert analysis. The Guardian, bringing you the whole picture on soccer. Search Guardian Soccer for more.

25:41Rachel: Oh, another spicy semi-final. Brighton pulled off a sensational comeback to reach their first ever FA Cup final. Playing away from home, they were 2-0 down within 22 minutes. They had it levelled up by the 54th minute before your woman. My moment of the week. Nordham. Sorry, that was so Irish to call her your woman. Yeah, well I was doing that for you. Very nice. Yeah, I thought that was lovely. Nordham scored the winner in the fifth minute of added time. Nordham had been brought on for Fran Kirby just six minutes earlier. Really good open exchanges between these two in the first 10 minutes. It felt like it was very transitional.

26:19Rachel: It was very kind of like... Yeah, I thought Liverpool are the better of the half. I thought they had the better of the opening too, but Brighton did counter very quickly through Fran Kirby. And, you know, I think Falk did get a save to hand to it in the end and it got cleared away from the goal. But Liverpool started really well, came out really strong, came out really fast. You know, again, perhaps not taking all of the opportunities they created, but getting a deserved lead. but I think the manner in which Brighton got even just the goal back because I think Liverpool scored in like the 22nd Brighton scored in maybe the 24th minute like it was no more than two minutes yeah so the manner in which that happened I think for Brighton allowed them not to kind of drop their heads because they were you know you weren't going in at halftime the response was instant they were like we've closed that gap very very literally couldn't have been quicker 22 and 23 minutes so yeah I think that kind of maybe shifted a halftime talk they knew they were absolutely in it and they just needed to come out fast and bloody hell did they?

27:16They came out all guns blazing. Pushed Liverpool back. Liverpool kind of couldn't get a foothold in the half for a little while. I did think though as the game went on, even when it went to 2-2 and you know, Madison Haley getting that goal well deserved. I think she's, this half of the season she's been doing so well. But I just thought as a tick nearer to the end, there were exchanges in both ends. I thought Liverpool could have had a penalty. You know, there was a moment where Chilag found herself kind of with NDB 1v1 and she didn't pass the ball anyway not the point great save for Mendoza though yeah but you know there were moments for both teams where you thought is someone going to pull off like a last minute and yeah someone was going to pull off a last minute literally unbelievable goal as well oh the free kick well bounced around and it ended up falling to her and Nordham actually has I think the most assists for Brighton which is for the team which is a surprise because she doesn't like start every single game so probably not who you expected to absolutely rifle the ball through maybe 900 bodies and into the top corner and her face is just like her reaction was so wholesome they're the kind of clips when you're doing an FA Cup montage about the magic of the cup they're the kind of moments you clip up a player like that kind of getting the goal in the literal dying seconds to complete an unbelievable comeback yeah I love that I think

28:32Rachel: that was it though wasn't it it was the drama that you wanted because it was literally like the final kick of the game so like that was it there wasn't any kind of time for Liverpool to get back in it it was a done deal open shut case job done and you could see like the way they celebrated like even obviously before the final whistle had kind of gone it was just and Liverpool I felt like they'd put in such a good account of themselves like that really was a battle of the Titans didn't they go out to like a last minute one last year to Chelsea I think it might have been just it was heartbreaking to see because they'd put in so much effort into this to kind of try and get themselves into that game into Wembley into the final and it just at the last minute it just fell apart yeah and it just um it was heartbreaking to see because there was a lot of heads and hands there was there was a few tears obviously it just it was um yeah it's hard it was really hard actually but credit to Brighton for for dominating especially large parts of the second half I mean they had 10 shots on goals Liverpool's three in the second period um do you feel like I mean I kind of want to I want to stay at a little bit of a positivity track for for Liverpool because it has been it's been a challenging season but towards the end they have obviously looked a little bit stronger.

29:42Rachel: They have looked stronger. They have. And like even the games where they, you know, I get it. They lost to Manchester City and it goes down as a loss, but they performed so well and could have caused an upset. Like they were in a lot of games, even when they weren't playing brilliantly at the first half of the season. You know, losing to Leicester 1-0, like they were in games. So they have absolutely improved since the turn of the year. They've, you know, been able to bring in some players. More importantly, you know, I think that's been key. They've started to really understand what they're trying to do and what Gareth Taylor's about.

30:13They have had a really good, compared to their first half of the season, they have had a much better second half of the season and there's definitely positive signs for them for sure.

30:21Rachel: I mean, it's worth reiterating, I think, sort of how poor 2025 was. They were struggling to pick up points, struggling to pick up a win even. I mean, their first league win in the season didn't come until January in 2026. That was a 2-0 game against Spurs when they scored the two goals in added time. So it has been tough for them. But I suppose in a way, they've kind of finished a little bit on a high. You've made it to the semi-final of the FA Cup. You are eight points clear at the relegation zone. They've managed to at least get themselves out of that mess. I mean, it does feel like there's a couple of building blocks that hopefully we can go into next season and they can kind of, I don't know, just build on essentially.

30:58And put your hand in your pocket and bring in some more players and more depth. But absolutely, there's definitely things to build on.

31:03Rachel: For sure. but now obviously this is this is a moment for Brighton this is absolutely huge for them they've been doing obviously so well this season I feel like it's quite a good season for them they've had their moments where they've dropped off but I think all in all not a bad place to finish I would say they were having an okay season a fine season like nothing to kind of write home about necessarily until kind of April time and things have turned and I think there's an element of kind of maybe a bit of recency bias in the media where you know everyone's saying what an unbelievable season they've had.

31:34And it's like, I don't think it's unbelievable. I think it's good. The last April, the results they pulled off in April, it's like things have kind of settled for them. They've gotten players back from injury. Things are starting to click, you know, and with each of these kind of impressive results, you know, beating Manchester City, drawing at Manchester United, drawing with Arsenal, you know, it kind of lifts the confidence. It breeds more belief into what Dario is trying to do. I just don't want to oversell it in terms of, you know, they, it was similar to last season they struggled a bit at the beginning of the year and then things started to click again as the sun came out in April time so it's starting to click for them again you know and it'll be important for them when it comes to the summer transfer window they're starting to you know make it difficult for the top teams they're going to finish in a much better place in the table I think up around 6th potentially they're in an FA Cup final like this is all really positive things for them but yeah I just I don't want to go like super oversell it but I do think it's fantastic that they've gotten into an FA Cup final.

32:34They've made history and it's absolutely, again, like Liverpool is something to build on for next season.

32:37Rachel: And I think that's really fair, Rach. And I think also, I mean, now, even if they lose the FA Cup final, £108 ,000 in the bank, which will make a very small dent in the amount that they're going to be paying for this£10 ,000 capacity ground stadium. Yeah, less than. That's just the ground rent. That will cost them£75 to£80 million and will be located right next to the Amex Stadium. So there was this huge announcement, obviously, that Brighton are going to build Europe's first purpose-built stadium just for the women. The planning application is underway and the club hopes that this will open for the 2030-2031 season.

33:13Rachel: I love it. We kind of have this debate backwards and forwards about what's the best move. We've obviously seen Chelsea move all their games to Stamford Bridge and then Brighton doing it differently and kind of building something that's purpose-built for the women. Just on back to that, I'd be slightly concerned if I were Chelsea at the numbers that turned up to the game, to an FA Cup semi-final. There was 7 ,000 people. Well, this is what I'm talking about, about the kind of the cost of opening up these massive, massive stadiums. The fact that they don't, they're not filling stadiums in the way that Arsenal were before they made that move permanent.

33:41Rachel: And now Chelsea are doing that. Maybe what I think is slightly prematurely, but I will hold my hands up if next season goes, you know, completely incredible. It won't just happen next season though. It also depends on who you bring in. Because I think if you bring in some like big dog signings, some star signings, like Bunny Shaw, for example, I do think that will help in terms of the fan base. But yeah, I'm really excited about this. It shows a real commitment to the women's game for Brighton. And I'm just excited they'll be able to build a base, a home base. And I think 10 ,000 people, I think, feels like the right level.

34:11Rachel: In what, five years' time? Well, yeah. I think it's really hard to build a fan base, especially people going to the actual games. You know, you look at someone like Chelsea, who have been prolific winners of the league for years and years and years, getting 7 ,000 for some of their key games. They got 23 ,000, I think, for the Women's Champions League at Arsenal. but I'd rather a game be a sellout and there'd be high demand for tickets than the other way around so yeah and also I mean they still have the the opportunity to go and pay Amex at the key games where they're expecting you know bigger fixtures say for example Brighton get into another semi-final or am I right in saying though that this ground is minimum 10 000 uh I think that's what it said so as opposed to like its absolute capacity is 10 000 I think there it said minimum capacity is 10 000 which would imply that there's options to expand the capacity when necessary potentially Well, I think there's a lot of interesting things that are going on in the architecture of stadiums where they will build them to a certain level, but then also create spaces within and around the area that they can invest in and like build out.

35:11Rachel: Yeah. So it becomes like a moving piece. They've done that with some of the World Cup venues in Brazil where they've kind of the capacity is 40 ,000 with the ability to expand that capacity should demand wanted. So that which is quite a good idea. Yeah. No, I really rate it. I think it's a really lovely thing for, you know, to build a home somewhere. and also like Brighton has an incredible fan base like they're only one of the clubs located like the big clubs located in that area like the LGBTQ plus supporters network absolutely crazy, the Seagulls are amazing so I think it's great that they're putting it on the grounds of where the main stadia is in terms of making it accessible and tapping into an existing fan base.

35:48Rachel: 100 % yeah I rate it, looking forward to going in 2030, I'll be celebrating my 40th birthday that year, Christ what do we make now of Brighton's chances against Man City in the final. Just a couple of weeks ago, obviously they beat City 3-2 to halt their title celebrations. That is going to be playing on the mind. 100%. Of the Sky Blues. Like that, if you're Brighton, that's the best way you want to go into this final against Manchester City. We've done it before. Knowing you could beat. And I think I said it last week where I spoke to Dario about, you know, how these wins and these draws and, you know, obviously they face Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal.

36:26Like what a trio of teams to face in such a short space of time. But he kind of said, you know, sometimes you've almost already lost it in the tunnel if you're kind of in the tunnel, head down, thinking kind of, oh, Jesus Christ, like, you know, I've got like one of the best goal scorers stood next to me. And he was like, they're coming into the tunnel, heads up, shoulders back, chest out, like, you know, believing that they can do it. And, you know, that's, they'll have that going into this final. It's going to be super interesting because, yes, Manchester City have done the FA Cup before, being at Wembley, but it has been a while.

36:54So it's always really interesting to see how the occasion impacts the teams. Like you think back to Tottenham getting to their first FA Cup final against Manchester United and they kind of wilted

37:03Rachel: under the pressure. You know, Brighton know they can do it. It's about turning up on the day and I just think they're both going to have like time off, not time off, they're obviously going to be training. They're going to have a gap between the end of the season, 16th of May and the 31st of May. Two weeks, yeah. Exactly. And you know, you're getting hopefully players back, you're getting players fit, it's giving you ample time to prep. All you have to think about is one team, one opposition and your job when you go out on that pitch. So whatever happens, I think, you know, whoever wins is going to be a huge celebration because one's making history and one's doing it for the first time in a long time.

37:37So that's just a really exciting, ethical final. Like if you told me that's what it was going to be at the beginning of the season, I'd just snap your hand off.

37:45Rachel: It is, I think it is amazing that I think, I mean, these two matching up at this time in the season, I do feel, especially with City, they just feel so confident at the moment. And I think winning generates winning. I think when you kind of have that mentality, you've got this thing wrapped up, you're so close to wrapping something else up to make it one of your most successful, you know, seasons in recent history. There's a strength in Man City that I see that I just, I don't see the same, I haven't seen the same in Brighton, obviously, this year. So I do feel that confidence that City have. Sure.

38:16Rachel: I do. Obviously, I think most people would say they're probably going to this with a bit more of an advantage. A hundred percent. But I think as well, like the resilience that City have shown, like yes they've been the best team but they've not always played their best and they've still come out with the win and again that breeds confidence as well to know that like you can get it over the line whatever happens so that's going to be hugely important for them like they grafted in that FA Cup when you're seeing them you know pulling players from pillar to post and players playing out of position and you know and Chelsea did the same credit to them for that but like again it just breeds kind of belief and it'll be interesting to see how the season ends Manchester City are away to West Ham Brighton are at home to Tottenham if they both win those games like Brighton are probably in the best run of form they've been in for a while taking points off big teams putting in good performances even against Arsenal they rested seven players in the first half you know and when they were 2-0 down there was a little bit of excuses coming in from the commentary where they were like well they did make seven changes and they have had to travel all the way from Sussex and I was like what?

39:16stop giving excuses they had seven changes to the Arsenal game because they were prioritising the FA Cup semi-final. So they were able to then start their best 11 in the FA Cup semi-final. And credit to them, I think it's absolutely paid off the way Dario has kind of managed this really difficult period. That's going to build into their confidence as well. So I think it's two teams who will be confident in the way that they play and what they can do. It's just how they manage the occasion. Because Wembley, I can only imagine what it's like walking out.

39:43Rachel: It is a beast, yeah. I mean, I've never done it. And I feel for the players when they're in the tunnel and you can hear the roar of, I don't know, maybe 60 ,000, 70 ,000 fans who have all come along, gotten a bit boozy at the old Wembley Box Park. That's just you. Yeah, that's me, just battered at Wembley Box Park. And it is like the occasion does get to you. It's the biggest day in the football calendar. It's so scary. I remember playing against, I remember being in a fan, but it was like 30 ,000, 35 ,000 people. And I remember going from like nothing at Spurs to 35 ,000. I'm not saying that's Brighton.

40:16Rachel: I know a lot of those players have actually played, at international level and with Brighton in front of large crowds but it's the occasion, it's the nervousness that creeps in, I don't care if you're Bunny Short or Cool Calm Viv it still gets to you but also, and this is the thing, again going from a smaller crowd than you're used to to a much bigger crowd, things like communication is different and I do think the fact that they will have played an awful lot more games at Main Stadia this season contributes to that and kind of takes away that part of it, but Wembley is huge the pitch is huge the distance from the the bench to the to the pitch is really big like even going there as a photographer I'm like I'm so much further away from the action definitely than you would be at any other stadium bowl and everyone's watching you yeah and you know the noise is different if it is 70 plus thousand that is going to be the biggest crowd they've probably played in against in this season itself so it's a lot of different things I need to get used to and it's just how you manage that it's super interesting and I think Andre Jegler it's Seems like the cool, calm head who can keep his team calm.

41:19We've seen a lot of his team talks. Again, I've said this before, but I'm loving that Manchester City are putting these out. And Dario's a very collected, cool customer. You know, very rarely gets too high with the highs or too low with the lows. So two level-headed coaches as well going against each. It's going to be the calmest touchline. Just the two of them stood there, whatever happens. Just a cup of tea and a packet of biscuits just watching the teams unfold. I have watched Dario get a bit agitated, to be fair, on the touchline when I've done a floor manager role and I'm stood between the dugheads.

41:47But generally, pre and post match, they're very cool, calm guys. Definitely.

41:50Rachel: Well, they've got two weeks to prepare. A lot of time. Just a little mention that the finals on May 31st compared to May 18th last year and May 12th in 2024. It's the longest season of my life. I do feel like it's a season where there's just a lot of gaps. Even like the WSL2 relegation playoff, we'll have to wait another millennia for that to take place. I'm like, oh, it's cool. The season ends on Saturday and I'm like, then we've got the playoff. Then it's the World 7s and then it's the FA Cup final and then once you've done the FA Cup final you think that's done and dusted here comes an international breaker on the horizon coming in the following week so actually loads of football left it never ends no coming up after this we head into the final weekend of the WSL

42:43Rachel: We've done it. Another season. Almost. Almost complete. We've just said there's still like four more weeks to go. The WSL bit is done. Almost. Wrapped, yeah. Man United will take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, knowing they cannot get Champions League football next season. They are currently five points behind Arsenal, having played a game more. It is a toughie for Man United. Do you know what? Maybe this will be the game they win. Feels like a little bit too late. Do you know what I mean? a little bit too little too late for Man United. Do you feel like this game is super important for kind of showing that there's been some kind of progress like when finishing fourth marks a bit of a step backwards in terms of not being able to pick up European football again?

43:23I'm not sure if they win this game, it's going to change their fans' minds. No, but as in like, however the fans feel about Manchester United's season is how they feel. I don't think like this result will change that. They're not going to go, oh yeah, but we beat Chelsea on the last day of the season. so it's bad. Even if Arsenal lose and Man United win this game there's still two points clear of Champions League football. The only narrative out of this weekend is who comes second because whoever comes second automatically goes into Champions League league stage and whoever comes third has to go through you know play their way through into qualify essentially the qualifiers.

43:57That's kind of the only line coming out of this this weekend is who's going to come second. Manchester United aren't in the conversation anymore they're not in the Champions League conversation they will be frustrated. I think fans can be pleased with how they did in their first Champions League this season I do think that's a plus going out to Bayern Munich at the quarterfinals is not something to be sniffed at not in your first round they put up a real fight against some top teams in the Champions League and I think that is pleasing but if anything it should be showing the board that they need more depth in the squad and you know is the manager getting the best out of the players they're getting in that's a question that needs to be asked as well have they gone as far as they can go can they do better next season like all these questions have to be asked and you know I think it'll be frustrating to not have gotten into Europe having made that kind of progress to then end up back out of it again would be frustrating

44:48Rachel: yeah I think it may be interesting to see how they account for themselves I think in this game because essentially if they win lose or draw nothing much changes for them and we saw kind of do you remember the game 2024 we were both there and it was the last game of the season it It was against Chelsea at Old Trafford and they were battered 6-0. It was Emma Hayes' last game. And it was just like... Chelsea needed... It was coming down to goal difference against Manchester City. Do you remember? That was a whole season where they lost to Liverpool and Emma Hayes basically conceded the league. And Emma was like, it's never over.

45:18And battered 6-0. It was a lovely sunny day. That was the main takeaway from that. It was a nice...

45:23Rachel: It was. What I will say for Man United, I think it would be good to see them end on a win, end on a high, end with their heads held high because it hasn't been I feel like it's been a quite static year for them yes if we if we remove the Champions League in terms of just their season progress I feel like it's been quite static we keep on having these conversations about Man United progressing and like almost when are you going to get to the top when are you when are you actually going to be contending for the WSL title because that conversation doesn't feel like it's moved on it feels like it's got to the Champions League bit they've done that got got the t-shirt whatever it is but I actually feel like in terms of them pushing on actually competing properly with the likes of Man City and Chelsea I don't I don't feel We're seeing that start to happen.

46:03I feel like it's been a quiet year for United.

46:06Rachel: I don't feel like they've been involved in many of the talking points around the drama and the excitement around who could really pip that top spot. Yeah, I think they've had a bit of time now as well not being involved in the FA Cup this weekend to kind of get themselves together, get players back potentially. They did have the back-to-back draws to Tottenham and Brighton. So from a mentality point of view in finishing their season, yes, of course, they're going to want to finish with a win, particularly against Chelsea. their nemesis, it seems, in terms of getting wins over them. They've just had the, is it just the FA Cup semi-final a number of years ago?

46:38But yeah, I think to not leave a bitter taste in the mouth for Man United fans, you want to win the last game, don't you?

46:45Rachel: Speaking of the race for second place, Arsenal have Everton on Wednesday and then Liverpool at the weekend, which we all thought would be Katie McCabe's final game for Arsenal. However, it now looks like the club will be offering her a new contract and she might be staying after all. Wait a minute. Gosh, you guys on the Arsenal press team, what are you doing to us? It's not the Arsenal press team. It's the media that are leaking all of these things. The press team are very quiet until things actually happen. I don't know. I think everyone's in cahoots together, kind of dropping little spicy bits of X, Y, and Z here and there.

47:18Rachel: Do you care about this? Do you care about that? Well, I mean, all news is good news, isn't it? If you've got the team that's generating a bit of like, oh, they're going to go here, they're going to go here. No, we kept them. That looks really good, doesn't it? That's a good bit of positive press. I don't know. No, if you're Arsenal fans and you want some new blood brought in, it might not feel like that. If they're like, we're getting rid of these. No, we're not. Or you do a soundcare Chelsea thing where there's rumours that you might be leaving somewhere else. Then you drop your sick video and it's like, oh, I really wanted to come on here and tell you all about.

47:42Rachel: And then it's like, I'm signing. Yeah, and I'll fall for that anyway. In the same vein of Arsenal transfers and rumours and leavings and goings. Sorry, I don't know why I was fluttering my fingers around there. Oh, it's very distracted. Like a magical wand. Beth Mead's final game for Arsenal it's been confirmed that she'll be leaving at the end of the season she has made 265 appearances over the course of nine years there are some rumours Man City and London City Lionesses apparently in talks about pursuing a deal this was super sad this was really really sad there was a really emotional farewell video talking about her time at the club not a dry eye in the sab team and I can imagine the same foot for you and so for anyone watching that it was a lot um and it was yeah talking about the you know the memories that she'd made how the players have kind of been a family for for her especially you know we look at how incredible her journey has been with with us on how prolific her career has been how many things that she's won but there's also been some really challenging times for her you know we had the acl injury then the you know obviously her mum passed and that was that was super super tough for her and you know and Bethany was saying you know you see me at my very best you see me at my lowest and you've never let me face anything alone um because I remember reading she did a players tribune article uh just before the Champions League final and she spoke about her journey in football and she she talked a little bit about the team and dealing with her mom's passing and she said she remembers locking up in the church and seeing like all her teammates and the staff they'd gotten on a bus at like four o 'clock in the morning to come up and support her and I just think like you forget behind the scenes that these players are in each other's pockets and you know it's not always a super happy family and then you know everyone's not always bestie besties every single player but like there was a real um particularly when they all went through those acl injuries together a real kind of galvanizing of that team and you know a real there's some really nice friendships in that squad and stuff like that and it is different you know you're not just losing like someone you play with every week you're losing someone like you see every day that's become a really good friend of yours but i'm sure the friendships will transcend whatever teams they end up playing for um but yeah god man those videos you know some of the i think back to that magda ericsson one guru writing you know like jeez they really get you doesn't matter what team you support you're like in tears i think it is it's also it's a lot harder when it's someone who's been at a club and seen so much transition over the years and achieved so much with them i mean in terms of arsenal achievements have been absolutely massive the conti cup in 2017 2018 and then 22-23 and then 23-24 the WSL in 2018-19 season and then obviously the Champions League last year I mean she's been such a huge women's Champions Cup they played two whole games for that yep sorry apologies and yeah that one as well um I mean Claire Wheatley uh director of football um at Arsenal was saying you know she is a legend of the club she's someone who you know she's a fan favorite she has the hearts and minds of all the fans she's going to go down in history as one of our best forwards ever.

50:41Rachel: I mean, the move is obviously an interesting one. We do have the World Cup on the horizon next year. There is kind of some, you know, rumblings that she wants to get more minutes to kind of, you know, being with a chance, I suppose, to impress Serena enough that she gets that opportunity potentially for Brazil. Yeah, were you surprised about this or did you kind of see or feel it was in the waters? Yeah. No, I thought like, given the saga last year about will she, won't she and how she was going to and then she didn't want to leave you know I think she wanted to prove herself and prove that she was still an important part of that squad and she absolutely did that this season um you know I think I don't think you can deny how impactful she's she's been and she probably didn't expect to have such an impact uh this season and I think she's taken her opportunities where she's had to step in when players are injured and stuff like that um so I'm not hugely surprised I think it was probably written on the wall for a while um I'm glad she'll get a chance to say you know bye to fans and all that kind of stuff I think a lot of fans have been speculating for a little while and wherever she does end up she still has a lot to give and depending on where she goes yeah I think it could be how many minutes she gets will be depending maybe on where she goes but I think she's a like definition of a team player like she understands that she might not especially this season that she won't necessarily be on the starting sheet every week and she understands that and she understands what's needed from her as a player within the squad and even if that is coming off the bench she knows she plays an important role it's the same with England and you've seen it at the Euros in 2025 you've seen it this season where she will play whatever position she's put in whatever the team needs if she has to come off the bench and play in the 10 she'll do that and I think you're very lucky to have a player like that in a squad because they're super reliable in terms of how they turn up on the pitch they'll put the shift in they'll understand their role whether it be on the bench or not um and i think that's a really beneficial i mean people probably think it's that's every player but it's not like not every player is kind of willing to sit in a bench and understand that that's their role for now but be able to come on and make a big impact when they do come on and i think having a player like that on your squad is incredibly important never mind her experience her winning you know that's all a huge asset to whatever team gets her i think it's that right it's the maturity that she has and the self-awareness and emotional intelligence that she has to kind of realize and appreciate that her positioning in the squad her importance in the squad the role that she plays in the squad is going to change as she becomes older or as you know new squad members come in or as the team dynamics start to change and I think I've always seen that from Beth I mean even when we had the um the pleasure of interviewing her last year um and it's like really lovely sit down interview and she was sort of talking about how that changed in the England squad and how you know Serena had a really frank conversation with her and she'd been absolutely fine with that like obviously I think it you know it's always a bit of an ego hit to say that your your role has maybe moved on a little bit and you know these new whippersnappers are coming in but she was so at peace with that being a part of the journey that you naturally play as a footballer you know you look at the impact that she's made on Arsenal and not just the team but like the atmosphere the energy what they've created at the Emirates their fan base and how huge that is I mean she's been a big part of Arsenal's massive massive growth this year because she does give a lot to the fans and they absolutely love it it's going to be it's going to be really sad to not see her in in red yeah it's going to be really odd but like to know you've left a club in a better place and you've left your mark on a club you know there's not especially in this day and age you know having a long contract or being at a club for a long time there's a few players that you just associate with a club so to be able to leave your mark on a club and be a player that's associated with them and their success you know obviously the Champions League being a big one um is really nice and yeah as you say always being popular with the fans and I think never been I feel like she's had a bit of the right balance of ego do you know that kind of way like when she had her Beth Mead revenge tour and players going through that and how they manage that and how they come back stronger but then also recognizing how your position and as I said that the need and how you're needed in a team evolves as you get older and new players come in and I think she's managed that really really well so can definitely leave Arsenal with her head held high definitely well congratulations on your amazing career at Arsenal Beth from all of us up front excited to see where you head off next the rumor mill is churning so I'm sure we'll find out something with city in it maybe possibly yeah I mean you can probably hedge your bets on that one which city um thank you so much for listening to up front and find us on instagram and x-dust twitter I'm at morgy underscore 89 rach is at girls on the ball and we are at up front underscore pod you can also find us on youtube at up front pod we'll be back on Tuesday to look back at the WSL season.

55:17Rachel: But as you said, the season is far from over. See you next week.

55:38Rachel: Up Front is a Stack production and part of the Acast Creator Network.

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